The Abbott government will reintroduce legislation to repeal Labor’s carbon scheme in a fortnight’s time, clearing the way for it to be debated in the new post-July 1 Senate on its first day of sitting, and keeping up the pressure on the upper house to pass it or create a ­double ­dissolution trigger.

The move comes as the government greeted news that US President
Barack Obama
is moving to address climate change, raising new questions about Australia’s stance amid claims that the American moves are in line with the government’s own Direct Action policies.

Most observers believe the abolition of the carbon price will be one of the few measures the government can confidently presume will pass in the new Senate.

However, increasingly belligerent statements from the Palmer United Party’s
Clive Palmer
mean the passage of the bills abolishing the scheme is not guaranteed.

June 23 is the first day the bills can be reintroduced if they are to meet the requirements for a double disso­lution trigger of a three-month break in the Parliament’s consideration of legislation.

A double dissolution election called on the back of the Senate’s failure to pass the carbon and mining taxes would be a more politically viable option than one called on an unpopular budget measure. Government sources say they remain confident Mr Palmer’s party will ultimately support the government’s legislation, despite his various threats to reconsider his position.

Questions have also been raised about whether Mr Palmer may seek to delay a vote in the Senate on the carbon price until September, a move which could earn him about $9 million by being able to cash in free permits.

The government insists regulators would prevent that from happening, but Greens leader
Christine Milne
has argued the potential conflict of interest means the PUP senators should abstain from voting on the carbon bill, as Mr Palmer himself did when it went through the House of Representatives the first time.

Related Quotes

Company Profile

Early passage of the bills in the new Senate would not only clear the issue from the immediate political agenda, but remove the capacity of cross-bench parties to horse-trade between support for the abolition of the carbon and mining taxes, and unpopular budget measures.

‘We come with a mandate’: Minister

Environment Minister
Greg Hunt
told Parliament on Monday the government intended to abolish the carbon tax “by introducing the legislation in the last week of June and then having that debated in the Senate in the first two weeks of sitting". “We hope to have it passed during that fortnight, the new Senate willing, but we come with a mandate from the Australian people and an express, clear, absolute commitment not to stop until that is done," Mr Hunt said.

Asked on Tuesday whether Australia was doing ­anything similar to Mr Obama’s plans for a 30 per cent cut in carbon emissions from power plants, Mr Hunt said: “In fact, what we see is that under the Emissions Reduction Fund we are precisely adopting measures which would encourage, support and provide incentive to clean up our power stations."

“What the ALP did of course – with the support of the Greens – was to give $5.5 billion in cash in kind to Victoria’s brown coal generators and $1.3 billion to the coal sector. So what we see here is the US is reducing emissions without a carbon tax. We welcome their initiative."

Prime Minister
Tony Abbott
, who is due to meet Mr Obama in Washington next week, was asked by a Labor MP during question time whether he would raise his views on climate change in the discussions.

While he was in opposition Mr Abbott once described climate change science as “absolute crap", but has since stated he believes humans are contributing to climate change. Mr Abbott told Parliament the US and Australia have policies on climate change “in common".

“What the United States is doing is taking sensible direct action steps to reduce its emissions, which is exactly what this government is proposing to do," ­­Mr Abbott said.